Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Unit Title: Literary Essay
Duration: 3 weeks
Concepts:
1. Essayists read texts closely and respond to them in writing.
2. Essayists understand the content and structure of a literary essay.
3. Writers learn strategies for revising their literary essays.
4. Writers learn strategies for editing their literary essays.
5. Writers publish and share their literary essays.
Materials:
Resources:
1. On-Demand Literary Essay Pre-Assessment
1. Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching Writing,
2. Writer’s notebooks
Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary Essays: Writing
3. Writing folders
About Reading, Lucy Calkins
4. Anchor charts:
2. A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop,
 Comparing Narratives and Essays
Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy Calkins
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
3. The Other Side, Jacqueline Woodson
5. Enlarged copies of the following:
4. Baseball in April and Other Stories, Gary Soto
 “Doing the Right Thing” sample essay
5. Every Living Thing, Cynthia Rylant
 “The Marble Champ,” Gary Soto
6. Assessing Writers, Carl Anderson
 “A Bad Road for Cats,” Cynthia Rylant
7. Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer’s
 “Slower Than the Rest,” Cynthia Rylant
Notebook, Aimee Buckner
6. Individual copies of the following:
 “Retired” Cynthia Rylant
Notes:
 “The Marble Champ,” Gary Soto
1. Spend more than one day for a session if
 “A Bad Road for Cats,” Cynthia Rylant
necessary.
 “Slower Than the Rest,” Cynthis Rylant
2. Create permanent classroom anchor charts by
 Literary Essay Revision/Editing Checklist
adding new strategies as you go. If you choose to
 Special paper for final drafts
use a document camera to share the anchor charts
 Literary Essay Conferring Checklist
from this unit, also create classroom anchor charts
 Literary Essay Assessment Rubric
so students can refer to them later.
3. Use the Conferring Checklist located at the end of
this unit.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 1
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
On-Demand Literary Essay Pre-Assessment
Instructions
Students should be at their regular writing seats and will need loose-leaf paper and pencils. They need to be able to add
pages if they want. Distribute copies of the short story, “Retired” and read it aloud to the students. Explain that the
story is about companionship.
Tell students:
“Let’s each write an essay about the big idea in this short story – a piece that shows our best work. You will have an
hour to write your thoughts about the big idea in this story and to use evidence from the story to support your thoughts.
Use everything you know about good writing.”
Have students begin their literary essays.
Note
This on-demand assessment shows what students know about essay writing to write about a short story. Score these
essays using the Literary Essay Assessment Rubric located at the end of this unit. Use the same rubric to score their
published essays at the end of this unit to show what they have learned.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 2
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point


Session 1
Essayists read texts closely and respond to them in writing.
Writers learn the structure of a literary essay and create a literary essay with the teacher.
References
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop,
Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy Calkins




Notes


Connection

Demonstration/
Teaching



Active
Engagement







Materials
Writer’s notebooks
Anchor charts:
 Comparing Narratives and Essays
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
An enlarged copy of the sample Essay: “Doing the
Right Thing”
The Other Side, Jacqueline Woodson
Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writer’s notebook and a
pencil to the meeting area.
Today, students will write an essay that is low-level and straightforward enough that it is
accessible to almost everyone in the class.
Explain that students will begin a new unit of study today. They will be writing literary
essays about short texts that they have read closely, reread, and discussed.
Review the structure of an essay as you refer to the Comparing Narratives and Essays
chart and an enlarged copy of the sample essay “Doing the Right Thing.”
Label the parts of the sample essay using the following terms: introduction, elaboration,
opinion statement, evidence, linking words, and conclusion. Explain that a literary essay
is organized in a similar way.
Explain that literary essays are built around the important ideas in stories. You are going
to read a story aloud. Have students listen closely and think about the important idea that
the story conveys.
Then the class will write a literary essay together.
Introduce, “The Other Side,” as a story about two girls, one white and one black, who
gradually get to know each other as they sit on a fence that divides their town. Read the
story aloud.
Have partners turn and talk about the important idea in the story. Have a few students
share their ideas with the class.
Explain that one important idea in the story, “The Other Side,” is that children find ways
to connect even when grown-ups are trying to keep them apart.
Write the following thesis statement on a chart and read it aloud.
Jacqueline Woodson’s picture book, The Other Side, teaches readers that children
find ways to connect even when grown-ups are trying to keep them apart.
Explain to the students that this will be the thesis statement, or claim, for a class essay
that you will be writing together. They will need to think of relevant evidence in the form
of reasons or examples from the story to support this thesis. Continue writing the class
essay with the transition,
Early in the story, the children connect with each other. For example, …
Have students think of a part in the story that clearly supports the thesis statement and
completes the transition. Then have students share their ideas with their partners.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 3
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5

Link
Writing and
Conferring
Share
Have one student contribute a relevant idea that will complete the transition and serve as
evidence that supports the thesis statement. Add this evidence to the class essay.
 Continue by restating the same transition, as follows:
Later in the story, the children connect with each other. For example, …
Have another student contribute a second idea that will complete the transition.
 Your goal is to help all students write whole essays today, even though they are
rudimentary ones. You will want to be sure that they all grasp the basic structure of an
essay and the importance of finding relevant evidence.
 Summarize the process for the students.
Writers, today you will write your own literary essays independently. You can either write the
essay the class has been working on together, or take another idea about the text and follow the
same template, writing a similarly structured essay about a different idea.
 Support students’ efforts at writing their own literary essays. Remind students to indent
each paragraph and use transitions for each body paragraph.
 Convene students in the meeting area.
 Have two or three students share their essays. Summarize the thinking the students
used.
Comparing Narratives and Essays





Narrative
Organized in sequence.
Begins with character, setting, and
problem.
Characters are developed across the
whole text.
Ends with a resolution to the problem.
Written so the reader can participate in
the experience.





Essay
Organized around an important idea.
Begins with an important idea and an
opinion, or perspective.
Important idea is developed across the
whole text.
Ends by returning to the important idea.
Written so the reader can think about
the important idea.
Prompts for Writing A Literary Essay



Start the essay with a thesis statement/claim.
Locate places in the text that support your claim.
Begin each body paragraph with a transition:
 Early/later in the text, (restate your claim) …
For example, one time …
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 4
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Doing the Right Thing
Some people in the world judge others by what they look
like instead of what is on the inside. Kids are sometimes treated
unfairly or avoided because they look different. Some kids even
get their friends to treat them badly, too. When people say and
do mean things to others because of how they look, it hurts them
deep inside.
One time a boy I know had a stain on his shirt, and he was
sitting by himself at lunch. I saw that other kids were making fun
of him. They said he should go out and get some new clothes. He
was really sad that kids were making fun of him. I just sat there
and felt bad for him. But then another boy I know went up and
sat next to him, and pretty soon they were talking and laughing. I
wish I had been the one who chose to do the right thing.
Another time a boy who wore glasses wanted to play
basketball with some of us kids who were already playing. A
couple of my friends made fun of him just because he was wearing
glasses. I could tell that his feelings were hurt. I hurried over
and said that I knew he was good at basketball and that he could
play on my side. His face lit up, and my friends stopped teasing
him. Later he told me how happy he was that I stood up for him.
It made me feel so good to do the right thing.
Now I realize how important it is to help others who are
being treated unfairly. I have talked to some of my friends about
how we should include everyone who wants to be included and
stick up for people who are being teased. It is not that hard to
do the right thing. In fact, it makes you and everyone around you
feel really good inside.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 5
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point


Notes
Session 2
Essayists understand the content and structure of a literary essay.
Writers use paragraphing and transitions to structure their essays.
References
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop,
Grade 2, 2011-2012, Lucy Calkins



Materials
Writer’s notebooks
Anchor charts:
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
The Other Side, Jacqueline Woodson

Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writer’s notebook and a
pencil to the meeting area.
 Today, students will revise their essays from yesterday’s session, focusing on the structure
of a literary essay.
Connection
 Explain that the first thing that essayists check for is the structure of their essays.
Demonstration/
 Demonstrate using the class essay, and then have students check their own essays, to
Teaching
make sure they have indented, used transitions, and restated their claim at the start of
each body paragraph. Sometimes students remember to do this in their first example,
and then forget to do so in their second example.
 Have a student volunteer who omitted paragraphing in his writing share his essay with
the class. Demonstrate how to put a box around each paragraph to show the separate
parts of the essay.
 Demonstrate how to check for, and rewrite if necessary, transitions and a restatement of
the claim at the beginning of each paragraph.
 Have students turn and tell a partner what you just demonstrated.
Active
 Have students who have omitted paragraphing in their essays also put a box around each
Engagement
paragraph. Have students underline the transitions in each body paragraph.
Link
Writers, today you will rewrite your own literary essays, working on structure. Make sure to indent
each paragraph. Include transitions and restate your claim at the beginning of each body
paragraph.
Writing and
 Support students’ efforts at rewriting their own literary essays, focusing on structure.
Conferring
Make sure that students indent, use transitions, and restate their claim.
Share
 Convene students in the meeting area.
 Have two or three students share their essays. Summarize the thinking the students
used.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 6
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point



Session 3
Essayists understand the content and structure of a literary essay.
Writers create a second literary essay with more elaboration and greater independence.
References
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop,
Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy Calkins
Baseball in April and Other Stories, Gary
Soto
Notes



Connection

Demonstration/
Teaching




Active
Engagement












Materials
Writer’s notebooks
Writing folders
Anchor charts:
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
Enlarged copy of “The Marble Champ,” Gary Soto
Copies of the following short story for each student:
 “The Marble Champ,” Gary Soto
Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writer’s notebook and a
pencil to the meeting area.
You will distribute copies of the first of three short stories to the students today. Have
them keep them in their writing folders.
Today, students will write a second essay, with greater independence, building on the
work they have done in the first two sessions.
Explain that students will listen to a short story today and write another literary essay.
They will be building stronger paragraphs by adding information to each supporting
paragraph.
Review the structure of an essay as you refer to the chart Prompts for Writing a Literary
Essay.
Explain that students are going to learn how to build stronger paragraphs by adding
information. Read your own essay or a good example from a student volunteer.
Reread the first paragraph. Demonstrate how you elaborate on this example by including
detailed actions and words that support the idea.
Then demonstrate how the evidence connects with the claim using the following words,
This shows that …
Add these steps to the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay.
Distribute a copy of the short story, “The Marble Champ,” to each student.
Explain that you are going to read a short story aloud, and the students can follow along in
their own copies. Then the class is going to say, rather than write, each part of an essay
about the story to their partners.
Explain that in most stories, characters have motivations or struggles. Characters also
change from the beginning to the end of the story. Students should pay attention to
these aspects of characters because they are central to the important ideas in stories.
Remind students to listen closely and think about the character’s motivation and struggles
and the important idea in the story.
Introduce, “The Marble Champ,” as a story about a girl who wants to be good at a sport.
Read the story aloud.
Have partners turn and talk about the character’s motivation and struggles and the
important idea in the story. Have a few students share their ideas with the class.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 7
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5

Link
Writing and
Conferring
Mid-Workshop
Teaching Point
Share
Explain that one important idea in the story, “The Marble Champ,” is that children find
ways to succeed when they really want to win.
 Suggest the following thesis statement aloud:
Gary Soto’s short story, “The Marble Champ,” teaches readers that children
find ways to succeed when they really want to win.
 Have students provide examples as relevant evidence for this thesis statement and
complete the following transition aloud,
Early in the story, Lupe found ways to succeed. For example, …
 Have students share their ideas with their partners, and then have one or two students
share with the class.
 Remind students that they will need to elaborate on this example by including detailed
actions and words that support the idea. Have students share their ideas with their
partners, and then have one or two students share with the class.
 Remind students that they will also need to explain how their evidence connects with the
claim. Have them support their ideas using the following words by sharing with their
partners,
This shows that …
 Have students share their ideas with their partners, and then have one or two students
share with the class.
 Summarize the process for the students.
Writers, today you will write your own literary essays independently. Essay writers take a moment
to think over the writing that they are going to be doing and remind themselves of how this kind of
writing goes. As you work, refer to the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay chart. Remember;
don’t just say that a part supports your idea. Show how it supports your idea by including detailed
actions or words, and then explain how those actions or words connect with your claim.
 Support students’ efforts at writing their own literary essays.




Demonstrate that after writing an essay, writers need to shift from being writers to being
readers. Read over your draft and check to make sure that each paragraph is well
structured, referring to the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay chart. Rewrite parts that
need revision.
Have students read over their drafts in the same way and rewrite parts that need revision.
Convene students in the meeting area.
Have two or three students share their essays. Summarize the thinking the students
used.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 8
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Prompts for Writing A Literary Essay





Start the essay with a thesis statement/claim.
Locate places in the text that support your claim.
Begin each body paragraph with a transition:
 Early/later in the text, (restate your claim) …
For example, one time …
Elaborate by including detailed actions and words.
Explain how the evidence links back to the claim as follows:
 This shows … (and refer back to your claim)
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 9
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point



Notes
Session 4
Essayists understand the content and structure of a literary essay.
Writers create a conclusion that illustrates the significance of the thesis statement.
References
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop,
Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy Calkins
Baseball in April and Other Stories, Gary
Soto





Materials
Writer’s notebooks
Writing folders
Anchor charts:
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
Enlarged copy of “The Marble Champ,” Gary Soto
Copies of the following short story for each student:
 “The Marble Champ,” Gary Soto

Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writer’s notebook and a
pencil to the meeting area.
Connection
 Explain that essayists always summarize their claims in a conclusion.
Demonstration/
 Review the structure of an essay as you refer to the chart Prompts for Writing a Literary
Teaching
Essay.
 Explain that readers can use what characters do, say, and think to determine their traits.
Students should think about a character’s traits to understand the important ideas in
stories and to help them write about the character in an essay.
 Explain that students are now going to learn how to add a conclusion to their essays.
Read your own essay or a good example from a student volunteer.
Demonstrate how to create a final paragraph that pulls the examples together and
advances your claim. Consider using the character’s traits to help you bring your ideas to
a close. You might start this paragraph using the following,
Now, as I think about my idea that (restate your claim), I realize that …
 Explain the importance of illustrating the significance of the thesis statement and/or
relating it to real life. Determine what the idea in the story means to you or to others in
the world. Leave the reader with a powerful idea.
 Add this step to the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay chart.
 Have students turn and tell a partner what you just demonstrated.
Active
 Explain that students will now open their writer’s notebooks and begin their final
Engagement
paragraph, using the words posted on the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay chart.
 Have students turn and talk with their partners about their thoughts on how to effectively
conclude their essays. Have them try to determine what their claim means to them or to
others in the world.
Link
Writers, today you will add a conclusion to your literary essays. Make sure to indent the final
paragraph. Refer to the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay chart to help you get started. Think
about what your claim means to you or to others in the world.
Writing and
 Support students’ efforts at writing their concluding paragraphs.
Conferring
Mid-Workshop
 Suggest to students who finish that they should revisit their previous essays and revise
Teaching Point
them with each new strategy that is learned.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 10
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Share


Convene students in the meeting area.
Have two or three students share their essay conclusions. Summarize the thinking the
students used.
Prompts for Writing A Literary Essay






Start the essay with a thesis statement/claim.
Locate places in the text that support your claim.
Begin each body paragraph with a transition:
 Early/later in the text, (restate your claim) …
For example, one time …
Elaborate by including detailed actions and words.
Explain how the evidence links back to the claim as follows:
 This shows … (and refer back to your claim)
Conclude by pulling the examples together and advancing your
claim as follows:
 Now, as I think about my idea that (restate your claim),
I realize that …
 In my life … OR In the world …
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 11
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point



Session 5
Essayists understand the content and structure of a literary essay.
Writers create a third literary essay with specific details and greater independence.
References
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop,
Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy Calkins
Every Living Thing, Cynthia Rylant
Notes


Connection

Demonstration/
Teaching



Active
Engagement













Materials
Writer’s notebooks
Writing folders
Anchor charts:
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
Enlarged copy of “A Bad Road for Cats,” from Every
Living Thing
Copies of the following short story for each student:
 “A Bad Road for Cats,” from Every Living Thing
Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writer’s notebook and a
pencil to the meeting area.
Today, students will write a third essay, with greater independence, and build on the work
they have done so far in this unit.
Explain that students will listen to another short story today and write another literary
essay. They will be learning how to build even stronger body paragraphs by including
specific details from the story.
Review the structure of an essay as you refer to the chart Prompts for Writing a Literary
Essay.
Explain that students are going to learn how to build even stronger body paragraphs by
including specific details, such as proper names, exact quotes, and precise actions, from
the story. Specifics really matter.
Read your own essay or a good example from a student volunteer. Demonstrate how
you go back to the text, underline specific details and other key words and phrases, and
bring those into the literary essays.
Add this step to the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay chart.
Distribute a copy of the short story, “A Bad Road for Cats,” to each student.
Explain that you are going to read a short story aloud, and the students can follow along in
their own copies. Then the class is going to say, rather than write, each part of an essay
about the story to their partners.
Remind students to listen closely and think about the character’s motivation, struggles,
changes, and traits and the important idea in the story.
Introduce “A Bad Road for Cats” as a story about a woman who loses her cat. Read the
story aloud.
Have partners turn and talk about the character’s motivation, struggles, changes, and
traits and the important idea in the story. Have a few students share their ideas with the
class.
Explain that one important idea in the story, “A Bad Road for Cats,” is that most people
have empathy for others.
Suggest the following thesis statement:
Cynthia Rylant’s short story, “A Bad Road for Cats,” teaches readers that most
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 12
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Link
Writing and
Conferring
Mid-Workshop
Teaching Point
Share
people have empathy for others.
 Have students provide examples as relevant evidence for this thesis statement and
complete the following transition aloud,
Early in the story, Magda shows empathy for others. For example, …
 Have students share their ideas with their partners, and then have one or two students
share with the class.
 Remind students to go back to the text, underline specific details and other key words
and phrases, and bring those into their conversations. Have students share their ideas
with their partners, and then have one or two students share with the class.
 Summarize the process for the students.
Writers, today you will write another literary essay independently. As you work, you will need to
refer to the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay chart. Remember; go back to the text, underline
specific details and other key words and phrases, and bring those into your essays.
 Support students’ efforts at writing their own literary essays.

Teach students how to properly cite quotations from a text.


Convene students in the meeting area.
Have two or three students share their essays. Summarize the thinking the students
used.
Prompts for Writing A Literary Essay






Start the essay with a thesis statement/claim.
Locate places in the text that support your claim.
Begin each body paragraph with a transition:
 Early/later in the text, (restate your claim) …
For example, one time …
Elaborate by including detailed actions and words.
Explain how the evidence links back to the claim as follows:
 This shows … (and refer back to your claim)
 In my life … OR In the world …
Underline specific details in the story, such as proper names,
exact quotes, and precise actions, and add these to your essay.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 13
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point



Notes
Session 6
Essayists understand the content and structure of a literary essay.
Writers create an introductory paragraph to prepare readers for their thesis statement.
References
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop,
Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy Calkins
Every Living Thing, Cynthia Rylant






Materials
Writer’s notebooks
Writing folders
Anchor charts:
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
“A Bad Road for Cats,” from Every Living Thing
Copies of the following short story for each student:
“A Bad Road for Cats,” from Every Living Thing

Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writer’s notebook and a
pencil to the meeting area.
Connection
 Explain that essayists write more than just their thesis statement, or claim, in the
beginning of their essay. To prepare their readers, they write an introductory paragraph
that begins by putting their thesis statement into the context of the story and ends with
their thesis statement.
Demonstration/
 Review the structure of an essay as you refer to the chart Prompts for Writing a Literary
Teaching
Essay.
 Explain that students are now going to learn how to expand their essay introductions.
Read your own essay or a good example from a student volunteer.
 Add the steps for writing the introductory paragraph to the Prompts for Writing a Literary
Essay chart.
 Demonstrate how to create an introductory paragraph by creating a parallel structure and
summarizing the text using the templates on the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
chart.
 Have students turn and tell a partner what you just demonstrated.
Active
 Explain that students will now open their writer’s notebooks and create their own
Engagement
introductory paragraphs, using the templates posted on the Prompts for Writing a
Literary Essay chart.
 Have students turn and talk with their partners about their thoughts on how to effectively
introduce their essays.
Link
Writers, today you will expand your introduction to your literary essays. Make sure to indent your
paragraph. Refer to the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay chart to help you get started.
Writing and
 Support students’ efforts at writing their introductory paragraphs.
Conferring
Mid-Workshop
 Teach students how to use the correct conventions to indicate titles of picture books (use
Teaching Point
underlining for handwriting and italics for typing) and short stories (use quotation marks).
Share
 Convene students in the meeting area.
 Have two or three students share their essay introductions. Summarize the thinking the
students used.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 14
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Prompts for Writing A Literary Essay








Start the essay with a thesis statement/claim.
Locate places in the text that support your claim.
Begin each body paragraph with a transition:
 Early/later in the text, (restate your claim) …
For example, one time …
Elaborate by including detailed actions and words.
Explain how the evidence links back to the claim as follows:
 This shows … (and refer back to your claim)
 In my life … OR In the world …
Underline specific details in the story, such as proper names,
exact quotes, and precise actions, and add these to your essay.
Conclude by pulling the examples together and advancing your
claim as follows:
 Now, as I think about my idea that (restate your claim),
I realize that …
 In my life … OR In the world …
Use one of the following templates in your introductory
paragraph:
 I used to think …. But now I believe …
 Some people think … But I believe …
 When I first read … I thought … But now as I reread it,
I realize …
Also include a tiny summary of the text using the following
template:
 (Somebody) wants … and so … but … in the end …
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 15
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point



Session 7
Essayists understand the content and structure of a literary essay.
Writers choose a short story and begin their final literary essay.
References
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop,
Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy Calkins
Every Living Thing, Cynthia Rylant
Notes


Connection

Demonstration/
Teaching


Active
Engagement














Materials
Writer’s notebooks
Writing folders and writing paper
Anchor charts:
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
 Boxes and Bullets
“Slower Than the Rest,” from Every Living Thing
Copies of the following short story for each student:
 “Slower Than the Rest,” from Every Living Thing
Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writer’s notebook and a
pencil to the meeting area.
Today, students will begin a final literary essay, building on the work they have done so far
in this unit. They will transfer their ideas from their writer’s notebooks to their writing
folders.
Explain that students will listen to another short story today and then choose which short
story they want to use for their literary essay.
Review the structure of an essay as you refer to the chart Prompts for Writing a Literary
Essay.
Reread two or three student essays aloud and review the content and structure of a
literary essay.
Distribute a copy of the short story, “Slower Than the Rest,” to each student.
Explain that you are going to read a short story aloud, and the students can follow along in
their own copies. Then the class is going to say, rather than write, the first part of the
essay aloud to their partners.
Remind students to listen closely and think about the character’s motivation, struggles,
changes, and traits, and the important idea in the story.
Introduce the story, “Slower Than the Rest,” as a story about a boy who has difficulty
learning in school. Read the story aloud.
Have partners turn and talk about the character’s motivation, struggles, changes, and
traits and the important idea in the story. Have a few students share their ideas with the
class.
Have partners turn and tell each other their thesis statement, or claim. Have two or three
students share their ideas with the class.
Have partners turn and tell each other examples of relevant evidence for their thesis
statement. Have two or three students share their ideas with the class.
Remind students that they organized their ideas for their personal essays with parallel
structure by using Boxes and Bullets. They will be using this same framework for
organizing their literary essays. Explain that their thesis statements belong in the Boxes,
and their examples belong next to the Bullets.
Summarize the process for the students.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 16
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Link
Writing and
Conferring
Mid-Workshop
Teaching Point
Share
Writers, today you will choose which of the three short stories you want to use for your final
literary essay. Begin by recording your ideas on a Boxes and Bullets organizer. As you work, you
will need to refer to the Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay chart. If you choose a short story
that you have already written about, you will need to start again. Start at the beginning. Indent
your paragraph. Make sure that you have a strong introduction. Then continue writing each body
paragraph using carefully chosen words and phrases so that your writing is clear.
 Support students’ efforts at writing their own literary essays.

Reorient students who are struggling with this process to follow the steps on the Prompts
for Writing a Literary Essay chart. The goal should be that everyone completes their
introductory paragraphs today, however many students will have completed their essays.
Convene students in the meeting area.
Have two or three students share their essays. Summarize the thinking the students
used.


Prompts for Writing A Literary Essay








Start the essay with a thesis statement/claim.
Locate places in the text that support your claim.
Begin each body paragraph with a transition:
 Early/later in the text, (restate your claim) …
For example, one time …
Elaborate by including detailed actions and words.
Explain how the evidence links back to the claim as follows:
 This shows … (and refer back to your claim)
 In my life … OR In the world …
Underline specific details in the story, such as proper names,
exact quotes, and precise actions, and add these to your essay.
Conclude by pulling the examples together and advancing your
claim as follows:
 Now, as I think about my idea that (restate your claim),
I realize that …
 In my life … OR In the world …
Use one of the following templates in your introductory
paragraph:
 I used to think …. But now I believe …
 Some people think … But I believe …
 When I first read … I thought … But now as I reread it,
I realize …
Also include a tiny summary of the text using the following
template:
 (Somebody) wants … and so … but … in the end …
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 17
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Boxes and Bullets


This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 18
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point


Session 8
Essayists understand the content and structure of a literary essay.
Writers understand that essayists sometimes storytell and sometimes paraphrase their evidence.
References
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop,
Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy Calkins
Materials


Writing folders
Anchor charts:
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
Note

Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders and a
pencil to the meeting area.
Connection

Explain that essay writers sometimes choose to storytell their examples by writing the tiny
details of an event step-by-step. But other times, they decide to paraphrase.
Demonstration/
Teaching

Active
Engagement
Link
Writing and
Conferring
Mid-Workshop
Teaching Point
Share
Read aloud your own essay. Demonstrate how to you might storytell (writing the tiny
details of an event step-by-step) one example in your essay, and then paraphrase (using
your own words to make a brief summary) another example. Make sure that you explain
how you are angling this evidence to support your thesis statement, and not just retelling
the events.
 Summarize the process for the students.
 Have the students do this same work using an essay from a student volunteer. Have the
class work together with you and the volunteer to first storytell and then paraphrase a
section of the text that is used as an example.
Writers, today you will do this same work independently as you refine your own body paragraphs.
Remember that when you storytell, you are writing the tiny details of an event step-by-step.
When you paraphrase, you are using your own words to make a brief summary. Essay writers
choose which way they want to present their evidence.
 Conduct individual conferences to support students’ efforts at storytelling and
paraphrasing examples they are using as evidence.
 Have students share their examples of paragraphs using storytelling and paraphrasing.



Convene students in the meeting area.
Bring closure to today’s workshop by having several students share their revised
paragraphs. Summarize the thinking the students used.
Have students recall and share one thing that they learned.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 19
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Prompts for Writing A Literary Essay









Start the essay with a thesis statement/claim.
Locate places in the text that support your claim.
Begin each body paragraph with a transition:
 Early/later in the text, (restate your claim) …
For example, one time …
Elaborate by including detailed actions and words.
Explain how the evidence links back to the claim as follows:
 This shows … (and refer back to your claim)
 In my life … OR In the world …
Underline specific details in the story, such as proper names, exact
quotes, and precise actions, and add these to your essay.
Conclude by pulling the examples together and advancing your claim
as follows:
 Now, as I think about my idea that (restate your claim), I
realize that …
 In my life … OR In the world …
Use one of the following templates in your introductory paragraph:
 I used to think …. But now I believe …
 Some people think … But I believe …
 When I first read … I thought … But now as I reread it, I
realize …
Also include a tiny summary of the text using the following template:
 (Somebody) wants … and so … but … in the end …
Decide whether you want to storytell or paraphrase your examples:
 Storytelling – writing the tiny details of an event step-by-step
 Paraphrasing – using your own words to make a brief summary
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 20
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point


Session 9
Writers learn strategies for revising their literary essays.
Writers revise their literary essays for meaning and clarity.
References
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop,
Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy Calkins
Note

Connection

Materials


Writing folders
Anchor charts:
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
Post on the daily schedule or verbally ask students to bring their writing folders and a
pencil to the meeting area.
Honor student writing by complimenting their focused efforts at creating their literary
essays.
 Explain that today students will be rereading their essays to make sure that their thesis
statements are clearly stated and that their evidence supports their claim.
Demonstration/
 Demonstrate how to revise for meaning and clarity as you:
Teaching
 Reread your essay aloud to yourself one paragraph at a time. Refer to the Prompts
for Writing a Literary Essay chart. Make sure that the information in each paragraph
all goes together and all supports the thesis statement.
Rewrite parts that need revision.
 Then read your essay aloud to a partner. Have your partner identify the thesis
statement after listening to your introduction. Then, have your partner explain how
the evidence supports the claim after listening to each body paragraph.
Rewrite parts that need revision.
Active
 Do this same work using an essay from a student volunteer. Have the class work together
Engagement
with you and the volunteer to read and rewrite parts that need revision.
Link
So writers, today you will read your essay twice. Read it first to yourself to make sure that your
evidence supports your thesis statement. Then read it to your partner. Your partner will identify
the thesis statement and explain how the evidence supports the claim. Rewrite parts that need
revision.
Writing and
 Conduct individual student conferences to make sure that the students are rewriting the
Conferring
parts that need revision.
Share
 Bring closure to today’s workshop by having one or two students who revised a part of
their essay share with the class.
 Have students recall and share one thing that they learned.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 21
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Prompts for Writing A Literary Essay









Start the essay with a thesis statement/claim.
Locate places in the text that support your claim.
Begin each body paragraph with a transition:
 Early/later in the text, (restate your claim) …
For example, one time …
Elaborate by including detailed actions and words.
Explain how the evidence links back to the claim as follows:
 This shows … (and refer back to your claim)
 In my life … OR In the world …
Underline specific details in the story, such as proper names, exact
quotes, and precise actions, and add these to your essay.
Conclude by pulling the examples together and advancing your claim
as follows:
 Now, as I think about my idea that (restate your claim), I
realize that …
 In my life … OR In the world …
Use one of the following templates in your introductory paragraph:
 I used to think …. But now I believe …
 Some people think … But I believe …
 When I first read … I thought … But now as I reread it, I
realize …
Also include a tiny summary of the text using the following template:
 (Somebody) wants … and so … but … in the end …
Decide whether you want to storytell or paraphrase your examples:
 Storytelling – writing the tiny details of an event step-by-step
 Paraphrasing – using your own words to make a brief summary
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 22
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point


Session 10
Writers learn strategies for editing their literary essays.
Writers use revision/editing checklists to edit their writing.
References
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing
Workshop, Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy
Calkins
Note
Connection
Materials




Writing folders
Anchor charts:
 Prompts for Writing a Literary Essay
Revision/Editing Checklist for each student
Chart-sized Revision/Editing Checklist


Put a Revision/Editing Checklist inside each student’s writing folder.
Remind students that they have been learning strategies that writers use to write literary
essays. Today students will learn a strategy to edit their writing.
Demonstration/
 Explain that students will be revising their essays today to make sure that the evidence
Teaching
delivers on the promise that was set forth in the thesis statement.
 Demonstrate how to reread your essay for each item on a Revision/Editing Checklist
through a separate lens that focuses on one item at a time.
 Read the first item on the checklist (Will this make sense to a stranger?)
 Pretend you know nothing about the essay idea. Read and mark places that are
confusing.
 Go back and rewrite parts that need revision those parts so they are clearer.
Active
 Continue reading through the lens of each item on the Revision/Editing Checklist, and
Engagement
then edit your essay with the students’ input.
Link
So writers, as you work today, find the Revision/Editing Checklist in your writing folders and use
each item as a lens when you edit your own essays. Reread with that lens and revise or edit your
work. This is your last chance to make the writing as perfect as you can get it.
Writing and
 Conduct individual student conferences to support students’ efforts using a
Conferring
Revision/Editing Checklist.
Share
 Have students show each other what they’ve done, what they’ve learned, and what
they’ve resolved to do next.
Note
Say, Tonight I’m going to look over the literary essays that you’ve edited today. I’ll be your copy
editor. Tomorrow, every minute of the day will be reserved for making final copies of our literary
essays.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 23
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Name: ___________________________________________
Title of Writing:_________________________________________________________________
Student Writing Checklist (Literary Essay)
Reread your writing carefully. Put a check mark in each box under the “Author” column as you complete each task. Once you have
finished, share with your writing partner and have them do the same thing. Finally, attach this sheet to your draft and turn it in to
your teacher.
Revision and Editing Checklist
Author
Writing
Teacher
Partner
Thesis Statement – Do I have a thesis statement that relates to
the topic?
Experience – Did I include a detailed personal experience that
supports my thesis?
Reading Evidence – Did I include a connection between my
personal experience and the text? Did I quote the text in my
response to support my thesis?
Lesson Learned – Did I include a connection between my personal
experience and the moral or lesson learned from the text?
Character Evidence – Did I include a connection with the
character – traits, feelings, actions? Did I analyze how the
character changes to support my thesis?
Word Choice – Did I use interesting words to keep my reader
interested?
Punctuation – Did I check my capital letters and end each
sentence with punctuation? (period, question mark, exclamation
point)
Paragraphs – Did I indent my paragraphs? Are my paragraphs
complete?
Spelling – Did I spell my words correctly? Did I use my writing
dictionary to help me with words I was unsure about?
REMEMBER: If you do not check a box, you should try to revise this part of your writing to include what is missing!
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 24
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Literary Essay Revision/Editing Checklist
Name_______________________________________________Date______________
Title_________________________________________________________________
Reread your writing carefully. Put a check in each box under Author as you complete each
item. Once all the boxes are checked, give this checklist to the teacher for the final edit.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Revise and edit for the following:
Clarity. Ask yourself,
“Is my thesis statement clearly stated?”
“Does my evidence support my thesis statement?”
Rewrite parts that need revision.
Introduction and conclusion. Ask yourself,
“Is my introduction complete?”
“Does my conclusion show why the claim is significant?”
Rewrite parts that need revision.
Effective use of words and phrases. Ask yourself,
“Have I used the most effective words and phrases?”
“Have I used transitions effectively?”
Rewrite parts that need revision.
Capitalization.
Use capitals at the beginning of each sentence and for every name.
Use capitals for titles.
Make corrections if necessary.
Punctuation.
Use periods, exclamation points, and question marks.
Use commas and quotation marks in direct speech and quotations.
Use quotation marks for titles of short stories.
Use underlining (handwriting) or italics (typing) for titles of books.
Make corrections if necessary.
Spelling of grade appropriate words.
Refer to various resources.
Make corrections if necessary.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Author
Teacher
Page 25
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Concept
Teaching Point




Sessions 11 and 12
Writers publish and share their literary essays.
A writing community celebrates.
References
Assessing Writers, Carl Anderson
Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the
Writer’s Notebook, Aimee Buckner
Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Teaching
Writing, Grades 3-5, Book 5: Literary
Essays: Writing About Reading, Lucy
Calkins
A Curricular Plan for the Writing
Workshop, Grade 4, 2011-2012, Lucy
Calkins
Day 12
Publishing
Day 13
Celebration


Materials
Writer’s notebooks
Special paper for final drafts

Have students rewrite their revised and edited literary essays on special paper.

Seat the students who have written about a particular text sit together in a circle. Have
them take turns reading their essays aloud in their groups.
Post student writing to celebrate the achievements of each student. You might consider
having a gallery walk so writers get feedback from other writers. One way to give feedback
is to leave a post-it note with a specific compliment next to another writer’s work.
Assess students’ literary essays using the Literary Essay Assessment Rubric.
Consider assessing the students’ writer’s notebooks.



This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 26
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Literary Essay Conferring Checklist
Student Name:
Practice Essay:
Writes first literary essay.
Practice Essay:
Revises structure of first
literary essay.
Practice Essay:
Writes second essay with
more elaboration.
Practice Essay:
Revises essay by adding a
conclusion.
Practice Essay:
Writes third essay by adding
specific details.
Practice Essay:
Writes an introduction.
Final Essay:
Uses Boxes and Bullets to
organize ideas.
Final Essay:
Storytells and paraphrases
evidence.
Revision Strategy:
Revises for meaning and
clarity.
Editing Strategy:
Uses a revision/editing
checklist.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 27
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Literary Essay Assessment Rubric
4
The writer develops an
exceptionally clear
thesis. The thesis and
Ideas/
conclusion are well
Content
developed and
supported by a variety
of evidence based on
facts and details.
Relevant evidence is
angled to support the
thesis.
The writing is
exceptionally clear and
Organization organized. The writer
uses an effective
organizational structure
that frames the essay.
Linking words and
phrases and parallel
structure are used
effectively to connect
the thesis and evidence.
Style
Conventions
The writing includes an
effective use of words
and phrases.
Conventions of
Standard English* for
grammar, usage,
spelling, capitalization,
and punctuation for the
grade level are
consistently used.
Paragraphs are
indented
3
2
1
The writer develops
a generally clear
thesis. The thesis
and conclusion are
developed and
supported by facts
and details.
Evidence is angled
to support the
thesis.
The writer develops
a somewhat clear
thesis. The thesis
and conclusion are
underdeveloped and
weakly supported by
facts with few
details. Evidence
somewhat supports
the thesis.
The writer
develops a weak
thesis.
The thesis and
conclusion are
not developed or
supported.
Evidence does
not support the
thesis.
The writing is
generally clear and
organized. The
writer uses an
organizational
structure that
generally frames the
essay. Linking
words and phrases
and parallel
structure are used
to connect the
thesis and evidence.
The writing includes
a somewhat
effective use of
words and phrases.
The writing shows
little evidence of
organization. Parts
of the essay may be
missing. Some
linking words and
phrases and/or
minimal parallel
structure are used
to connect the
thesis and evidence.
Conventions of
Standard English*
for grammar, usage,
spelling,
capitalization, and
punctuation for the
grade level are
usually used.
Paragraphs are
indented.
Conventions of
Standard English*
for grammar, usage,
spelling,
capitalization, and
punctuation for the
grade level are
rarely used. Few
paragraphs are
indented.
The writing lacks
recognizable
organization.
Parts of the essay
are missing. Few
or no linking
words and
phrases and/or
ineffective or no
parallel structure
are used to
connect thesis
and evidence.
The writing
includes an
ineffective use of
words and
phrases.
Conventions of
Standard English*
for grammar,
usage, spelling,
capitalization,
and punctuation
for the grade
level are not
used. Paragraphs
are not indented.
The writing includes
a basic use of words
and phrases.
*Standard English is the form of English most widely accepted as being clear and proper.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 28
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Rubric – Notebook Entries for Literary Essays
Name:
Mentor Text:
Session
Title of
Session
Expectations
1
Writing Inside the
Story
Writing as a Wide
Awake Reader
2-3
Growing a Big Idea
4
Gathering Writing
through Close
Reading
5
Gathering Writing
by Studying
Characters
6
Prompts to Push
your Thinking
Lifted a line from text;
wrote a visualization
using feelings, thinking;
using senses, details,
and wondering; writing
related to story.
Chose a character from
text; Line lifted to form
new ideas; gathered
more information
about character, comes
to new idea
Notice lines/details
others pass by; writing
questions to prompt;
using chart prompts;
writing deeper with
details and relations
about character
How to think about
character; using
questions from prompt
chart; Lift line, zooming
in; visualize, live in
character’s shoes;
connections
What is different, what
is same; what are
needs, wants and
desires of character?
used examples and
details to back up
response
New prompts added
onto chart; some are
contrasting questions or
prompts
7
Developing Provocative
Ideas
What is this story
really about?
A
B
C
D
No
attempt
to write.
New questions to stop
and think- what story is
about. Finds sections
related to what the
whole story is about;
what character learns
in the story? How does
he/she change? 1-4-9
questions
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 29
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
Developing Provocative
Ideas
8
How does this
Story Intersect
with My Life?
9
Finding and
Testing a Thesis
Statement
10
Framing Essays
11
Using Stories as
Evidence
12
Using Summaries
as Evidence
13
Using Lists as
Evidence
“Boxes and Bullets”
Reread own entries in
whole notebook; find
similar themes or
topics; How does my
topic help me
understand my mentor
text? How can this
story relate/deal with
my own life; looking for
connections and places
life and book intersect
Collect materials from
notebook that could be
possible thesis
statements. Each
possible statement is
tested to see if there is
relevant and
reasonable evidence to
support it from both
the beginning and end
of the story.
Choose a thesis to
work with.
Revise thesis
statement. Generate
topic sentences to
connect the thesis to
the body of the essay.
Use boxes and bullets
to organize ideas.
Reread the text to find
evidence to support
the thesis. Quote the
text in the essay. Tell
the story with an angle.
Demonstrate
comprehension of the
text and be able to
summarize a short
episode. Use this
strategy to locate
evidence to support
thesis from text.
Use the thesis as a
repeating chorus
throughout the essay.
Use the list strategy to
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Page 30
Literary Essay: Grade 4
Writing Unit 5
14
Using Descriptions
of Author’s Craft
as Evidence
hold the essay
together.
Pay attention to an
author’s craftsmanship
techniques to highlight
deeper meaning.
Highlight evidence that
connects to thesis.
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).
Page 31